Jenny stumbled, her bloody shoulder a mess, her face twisted with pain and terror. "I can't… it's gonna get us!" she gasped, her voice a shaky sob, tears streaking through the grime. Caleb gritted his teeth, his own fear clawing at him. "We gotta move—now!" he yelled, his voice rough, sweat stinging his eyes.
Lila was already agitated, her red hair a wild tangle, a broken plank was her weapon by chance, "Move your asses—that thing's not done with us" she yelled, her tone a wild mix of panic and fury, her eyes darting to the shadows. Ethan limped behind, cursing under his breath, his bruised leg slowing him down. This is your fault, Tara—why'd we stop here?" he snarled, his voice raw, pointing at her. Tara shrank back, her tattered bag clutched tight, her big eyes brimming with tears. "I didn't know it'd attack! The well never did that before!" she cried, her voice high and shaky, almost a plea. "Of course it never attacked you!!" He roared furiously....clearly blinded by fear.
Jenny stumbled again, nearly falling, and Caleb caught her, his arms straining "Damn it, Jen, stay with me!" he snapped, his voice tight with worry, She nodded, biting back a scream, her face white. "It hurts…it hurts so bad," she whimpered, her toughness cracking.
Lila spun, her glare fierce. "Tara, where's that hideout? Don't screw us!" she roared, her hands trembling on the plank. Tara pointed to a crumbling archway up ahead, her voice quivering. "There—please, it's close!" she pleaded, her fear real but met with cold stares.
A growl erupted behind them, and a shadow hand slashed out, missing Ethan by a hair. He yelped, stumbling forward. "It's right there—run!" he yelled, his panic sharp. Caleb's chest tightened, and he half- dragged Jenny toward the archway, her sobs mixing with his ragged breaths. "Almost there—hold on!" His heart was pounding like a drum, the charm in his pocket searing hot as he pulled her weight dragging on his arm.
Lila swung the plank back, smashing at the shadow, her yell a guttural scream. "Back off, you freak!" she snarled, her rage masking her terror.
The ground trembled, the well's mist surging toward them, and Jenny cried out, "It's chasing us!" Her voice broke, her pain making her frantic. They dove under the archway, tumbling into a dusty room with cracked walls, the growl fading outside but the air still thick with dread. Jenny collapsed, her shoulder oozing worse, her sobs loud and raw."I can't…I just want it to stop,"she choked out, her voice a desperate plea.
Caleb dropped beside her, his breath heaving, grabbing a rock for defense. "We're safe for now—breathe," he muttered, his voice rough, his own hands shaking, unsteady from the rush.
Lila kicked the doorframe—or what was left—panting hard. "That was too damn close," she growled, her eyes wet, her body shaking. Ethan slumped against the wall, glaring at Tara. "You almost got us killed—why should we keep you?" he spat, his anger boiling. Tara shrank back, her bag slipping. "I didn't mean to—I just wanted to survive!" she wailed, her fear mirroring theirs. Caleb narrowed his eyes, his distrust hard. "Survive or not, we're watching you," he said, his voice cold. Lila nodded, her jaw tight. "One wrong move, and you're done." The room went still, the charm pulsing....and the strange darkness outside contrasting each other.